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Blackleaf

It's the end of the Third Day of the First Test between England and the West Indies and England are still on top in the game at Lord's.

It's new coach Peter Moores's first match in charge.

Panesar was England's star man today as he took 4-108.

1st Innnings

England 553-5 declared
West Indies 363-7

England lead by 190 runs

England's Monty Panesar was in fine form and took four wickets as England lead the West Indies by 190 runs at the end of the Third Day

Spinner Monty Panesar took four wickets for England but West Indies fought back bravely on day three of the first Test.

Panesar bowled Devon Smith and trapped Ramnaresh Sarwan (35), Daren Ganga (49) and Runako Morton lbw as they slumped to 187-5 replying to 553-5 at Lord's.

But Dwayne Bravo (56), Shiv Chanderpaul (63no) and Denesh Ramdin (60) feasted on bad bowling as they closed on 363-7.

England were hampered by the absence of Matthew Hoggard, who did not bowl after suffering a thigh strain before lunch.

He could be available on Sunday after having a scan and England will need to polish the Windies off quickly and bat positively to prevent this game drifting towards a draw on a surface which has flattened considerably.

The home side's bowling was anything but inspired and Steve Harmison looked more like the man who endured an Ashes nightmare last winter than the one who was on top of the world in the Caribbean three years ago.

Indeed, the visitors, all of whom got starts, would have been in an even healthier position had they shown better judgement against slow left-armer Panesar, even though he bowled with great control.

After England declared on their overnight total, Chris Gayle and Ganga coped well with the movement through the air that Hoggard generated and the brisk opening spell delivered by Harmison at around the 90mph mark.

A change brought almost instant rewards when Liam Plunkett's second ball, a full delivery, beat a leaden-footed effort from Gayle (30) and knocked back off-stump.

Smith rode his luck to take over the role of aggressor from Gayle, cracking Plunkett and Hoggard on the up through the covers for three sumptuous boundaries with lunch approaching.

With Hoggard going off wincing in considerable pain, the home side were running out of ideas until Smith played for turn that was not there and Panesar had his first victim with his first ball.

Sarwan began positively but was never really comfortable against the spinner, although life was easier against Harmison, who sent a succession of deliveries down the leg-side.

Plunkett's accuracy also suffered when he replaced him and England were desperate for a lift.

Up stepped Panesar to deceive Sarwan (35), Ganga (49) and Morton - who saw Paul Collingwood drop a chance high at second slip when a Plunkett delivery reared up - with straightish deliveries, which umpire Asad Rauf bravely ruled would have gone on to hit the stumps.

However, Bravo successfully knocked Panesar out of his stride after tea by coming down the track to drive him twice through long-on.

Dwayne played fluently before giving his wicket away when well set

With no great turn on offer, other than occasionally from the rough patches, there was a bit of immunity for the talented all-rounder and successive heaves over mid-wicket and long-on brought him 10 runs which took him past 50 off 50 balls.

Stand-in skipper Andrew Strauss was again short of options and shuffled his bowlers around to force a breakthrough.

Even the dogged Collingwood had no answer to Bravo's impeccable timing and placement until, inexplicably, the Trinidadian tried to launch him into the crowd and succeeded only in finding Alastair Cook at deep mid-wicket.

England had a window of opportunity and Chanderpaul, who began cautiously, could have fallen soon after when he offered no shot to Panesar, but this time Rauf rejected a strong lbw appeal.

Ramdin could equally have been given out by Rauf when he pushed forward uncertainly - it was no different to the three successful shouts.

But the duo survived those scares to play a succession of handsome shots, none better than the two late cuts the wicket-keeper launched off Panesar.

Chanderpaul flicked Collingwood off his hips to take the score up to 300 and then edged wide of the keeper to bring up his fifty, and the runs continued to flow after the new ball was taken.

Harmison's confidence was shot by the end with the big Durham man finding it almost impossible to bowl anything straight, and when he did it was usually too full.

Ramdin three times collected pairs of boundaries off him, driving and cutting with real aplomb to emphatically record his fifth Test fifty and erase any doubts about whether the follow-on could be avoided. Even though he edged Plunkett to second slip minutes before the close, just as they were on the tortuous tour of Australia, all the demons were once more causing disarray in English minds.

England declare on their overnight score of 553-5 and Steve Harmison shares the new ball with Matthew Hoggard
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But it is Liam Plunkett who makes the breakthrough with his second ball - Chris Gayle departs to leave the Windies 38-1
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Windies vice-captain Daren Ganga is going along at a more sedate pace having made only five in the opening partnership
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Bad news for England though when Hoggard breaks down just before lunch with a thigh injury and has to leave the field
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However, there is time for an over from Monty Panesar and he strikes first ball to remove Devon Smith with a straight one
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Ramnaresh Sarwan comes in and rather than playing for lunch, he hits three glorious boundaries as the Windies reach 97-2
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151-3 becomes 165-4 when Panesar claims his third scalp - Ganga is out lbw, ending his steady 131-ball knock on 49
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Panesar is soon jumping for joy again when Runako Morton becomes his third lbw victim of the afternoon session
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Plunkett is all over the place though and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo reach tea on 217-5
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Harmison helps Matt Prior work off his tea with a succession of leg-side deliveries as the tourists move past 250
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With Harmison and Plunkett mis-firing, Paul Collingwood is brought into the attack and he tempts Bravo into a pull shot
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But the Trinidadian only succeeds in picking out Alastair Cook at mid-wicket and the sixth-wicket partnership ends on 92
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Reluctant Hero · Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 7:45 pm Post subject:

I would hardly say England were "on top". This match has got draw written all over it.
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macnumpty · Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 9:52 pm Post subject:

I seem to recall a certain Mr. Blackleaf informing us that England were dominating their matches during the Ashes... what was the outcome in every one of those matches again? Laughing

Maybe it's wiser to comment on control of such a long game once it's actually over/ We don't want you to look foolish, after all. Wink

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Babygael · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject:

I have been hearing a lot of comments among the windies as to how come Irishmen are playing in the English team? I mean there's nothing wrong with it rule wise, but now that Ireland has made a step up in the rankings.People here think it's a strange thing to do.
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Drink beer,don't drive...its cheeper!

Reluctant Hero · Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 11:27 am Post subject:

Babygael · Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 11:21 am Post subject:

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Ath-bheothachadh

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Babygael · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:13 am Post subject:

Och weel .it wis just a matter o' time Blackleaf!! Wink

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Blackleaf · Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:07 pm Post subject:

FIRST NPOWER TEST, THIRD DAY, Lord's:

1st Innings

England 298 (91.2 overs)
India 201 (77.2 overs)

England lead by 97 runs

(India were 145-4 overnight)

FoW -
England - 76, 218, 252, 255, 272, 286, 287, 287, 297. 298

India - 18, 27, 106, 134, 155, 173, 175, 192, 197, 201

England took a first innings lead of 97 at Lord's after dismissing India for 201 in their first innings.

James Anderson, who ended with 5-42, bowled the influential Sourav Ganguly for 34 in the sixth over of the day.

Nightwatchman RP Singh (17) fell to Ryan Sidebottom before Anderson removed keeper Mahendra Dhoni for a duck.

Sidebottom trapped Anil Kumble (11) lbw and had VVS Laxman (15) caught behind before Zaheer Khan (7) gloved a hook off Anderson and was caught at slip.

THIRD DAY OF THE FIRST TEST, ENGLAND VS INDIA

India, resuming on 145-4, suffer an early setback when Sourav Ganguly is bowled by Jimmy Anderson
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Worse follows for India when RP Singh skies Ryan Sidebottom to Anderson at mid-off after making 17
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Anderson then removes Mahendra Dhoni to leave India struggling on 175-7 in reply to England's 298 all out

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